This rustic no-knead Danish rye bread is made with just simple 6 ingredients! It's super hearty and filling thanks to soaked sunflower seeds and cracked rye (or steel cut oats) mixed into the dough. And we'll use active dry yeast instead of sourdough to make this delicious fermented bread.
Easy Fermented Rye Bread without Sourdough
I absolutely looove a hearty, whole grain loaf. In fact, I have many, many rye bread recipes on the blog! And while I usually bake German loaves, this variation is a nourishing Danish rye bread called Rugbrod.
It's important to bake it in a loaf pan, because rye flour doesn't doesn't have the same elastic structure as other types of bread. And as a bonus, a loaf pan creates the perfect shape for sliced bread. How about adding a mouth-watering open-faced sandwich like smørrebrød to your weekday lunch?!
Now it's also important to note that while there's very little hands-on time, this is by no means a "quick" recipe. In fact, traditional Danish rye bread is often fermented for up to 24 hours, letting those tangy flavors deepen. We’re speeding up the fermentation process to half that time by using active dry yeast (no sourdough needed!)
Growing up in Germany, we’d visit Denmark which was just to the north. And as a kid, I'd often bypass the rye loaves and barrel straight for the chocolate-filled breads. But now that I'm older, I much prefer the cozy comfort of a hefty slice of rye bread with seeds.
So what's the difference between Danish rye bread and German rye bread? While Danish Rugbrod is made with 100% dark rye flour and gets baked in a loaf pan, German Roggenbrot has a little white + wheat flour mixed in and is baked on a baking sheet.
Ingredients You'll Need: cracked rye, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, dark rye flour, salt, active dry yeast, molasses.
Let's Bake Homemade Dark Rye Sandwich Bread Together!
Below is the process to make this recipe. For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Mix the cracked rye, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, and water in a bowl. Soak for 8 to 12 hours.
2.Mix the dark rye flour, salt, active dry yeast, water, and molasses. Soak for 8 to 12 hours.
3. Uncover the soaked seeds. (No need to drain excess water.)
5. Mix the soaked seeds into the soaked rye flour dough.
7. Bake the bread for 1.5 to 2 hours.
4. Uncover the dough. (It's okay if it hasn't doubled in size).
6. Press the dough into a greased loaf pan, and proof for 1 hour.
8. Cool fully then slice & enjoy!
Carissa's Kitchen Tip
I recommend scoring the top of your proofed loaf with a single long slash down the center lengthwise. This will help control the expansion as your bread bakes.
Essential Danish Rye Bread Baking Tips
- Prevent Gummy Bread: It’s important to wait for the loaf to cool fully, for at least 4 hours (or overnight) before slicing it. Otherwise your bread will look gummy and crumbly.
- Avoid Dry Bread: Make sure you cover the dough with a damp cloth as it proofs, to prevent it from drying out and cracking as it bakes.
- Chewy, Not Tough: We’re baking this loaf low and slow to create a chewy crust but prevent it from being too hard or tough.
No-Knead Danish Rye Bread without Sourdough
Equipment
Ingredients
Soaker
- 1½ cups cracked rye (see note)
- ½ cup hulled sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
- 1½ cups cold water
Dough
- 5 cups dark rye flour
- 1 Tablespoon salt (use non-iodized table salt or fine sea salt)
- 2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (one envelope)
- 2½ cups warm water
- ¼ cup dark molasses
Instructions
Day One
- Combine the cracked rye, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, and cold water in a small bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and allow it to sit & soak at room temperature overnight, for 8 to 12 hours.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the rye flour, salt, active dry yeast, water, and molasses. Mix it with a large spoon to combine everything, until you can shape it into a dense ball and it’s no longer crumbly. (This dough is not elastic like other bread doughs, since it contains far less gluten.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature overnight, for 8 to 12 hours.
Day Two
- Grease a 5-inch by 9-inch loaf pan with olive oil or line it with parchment paper.
- Add the soaked crack rye and seeds (no need to drain it) to the dough mixture, and mix it with a large spoon to combine everything. (The dough will be very dense and thick.)
- Press the dough into the prepared loaf pan, ensuring it is evenly pressed into all the edges.Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel, and let it proof for 1 hour at room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.Optional: Score the top of your loaf with one long slash down the center length-wise.
- Bake for about 1.5 to 2 hours, until the loaf is dark brown, and has an internal temperature around 205°F to 210°F (you can use a kitchen thermometer to check).
- Slide a kitchen knife around the edges of the loaf pan to remove it, or pull the loaf out of the pan by the parchment paper. Let cool completely to room temperature on a cooling rack for at least 4 hours. Slice and enjoy!!
Notes
- If you can’t find cracked rye berries, you can get whole rye kernels and crush them slightly in a food processor. And if you can’t find either, you can substitute steel cut oats since they have a similar size and texture.
- Once your baked loaf has cooled, run a kitchen knife around all the edges to release it from the loaf pan.
Yoko
Hi! I was so happy to find this recipe—I've been looking for something like this ever since I tried rye bread in Denmark. I'm especially glad that it's made with ingredients I can get here in Japan.
I just have one question: Are the "cups" in this recipe based on the US measurement, or are they metric?
Carissa Erzen
Hi there! I'm so glad you are planning to make this bread! The cups are based on US measurement - do you need it in metric?
Yoko
Thank you so much for your reply. Yes, metric would be great, thank you!
Carissa Erzen
Hi Yoko, I added metric measurements for this bread recipe. You can find them by toggling to "metric" under the ingredients section. Let me know how this loaf turns out for you!